Day of Silence
by Mell8
Summary: Today is the Day of Silence and in accordance with the mission of our silence, to promote awareness of the difficulties and discriminations gays and lesbians face every day, I am posting this. Please be aware that what I have written are real situations.
1. Chapter 1

The Day of Silence

By Mell8

A.N. Today is the Day of Silence and in accordance with the mission of our silence, to promote awareness of the difficulties and discriminations gays and lesbians face every day, I am posting this. Please be aware that what I have written are real situations that a number of my friends have found themselves in (minus the magic, of course) and please understand that while this is a work of fiction based in J.K.R.'s beautiful world, I am basing this on real situations. Eventually this does branch out into a threesome D/G/B, but the pain and harassment are very real.

Also, as a straight but very firm supporter of LGBT's, I felt that it is important to focus on Ginny's role as a supporter herself and the hardships we face because we openly support all relationships.

Today I am being completely silent, but even though writing is a form of words, I am posting this anyway. I feel that the message is more important than the actual act. I feel that posting this is another way to bring about awareness and I hope that everyone agrees.

Please feel free to tell me your opinions and personal experiences about this day, good and bad, and I will try to get back to you tomorrow when I will be speaking again.

Thanks,

Mell8

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"Harry! Hermione! You won't believe what just happened in the Great Hall!" Ron scrambled through the portrait hole and over to the fire where Harry, Hermione and Ginny were studying.

"What is it Ron?" Hermione asked with a tired sigh. "I have to get this astrology chart done before I go to a Head Girl meeting with Dumbledore."

"Malfoy's a poofter! He's gay! He likes boys!" Ron tumbled into an armchair and laughed until tears began to streak down his face.

"What do you mean, Malfoy's gay?" Hermione asked slowly over Ron's chortles.

"I mean," Ron gasped as he fought down his mirth enough to speak, "that he admitted it in the Great Hall just five minutes ago. Everyone heard!"

"Calm down, Ron. I think you had better explain what happened from the beginning." Hermione pushed aside her astrology homework and tuned all her attention on Ron.

"Right then," Ron took a deep breath. "So I was sitting at the Gryffindor table finishing dinner when Parkinson suddenly screams: "Why, Draco, why won't you go out with me?" and of course everyone's looking at her now." He snorted and forced down another bought of laughter before continuing.

"So Parkinson stands up and points her finger at him, and she's livid. "Are you gay, Draco? Cause that's the only reason anyone would deny me!" and then Malfoy stands up next to her and does his usual awful sneer-snarl sort of thing and says, "that's right Parkinson. I prefer a man to any girl I've ever spoken to.""

Ron gasped for breath. "And then," he giggled, "and then Malfoy glares around the Great Hall and says, "Yes, that means that I'm a queer!" and then stomps out of the room!"

Ron dissolved into laughter again and Harry let out a few chuckles of his own. Hermione turned back to her homework with a huff.

"Well I think it's wonderful that he's decided to tell everyone the truth. Good for him!" Hermione said absentmindedly as she pulled her star chart closer.

"But, but Hermione-!" Ron laughed again and couldn't finish his thought.

"Actually," Ginny said coldly, "that puts a new spin on every conversation you've ever had with him. Just think," she gave the boys an evil smile, "those various insults might have been his way of hitting on you."

Ron's face went green and Harry shut his mouth with a hard snap. Ginny just gave then an innocent smile and went up to her dormitory for the night.

III

Ginny sat alone at a very early breakfast the next morning and watched as students slowly began to fill the Hall. The name on everyone's lips was Draco Malfoy. The Great Hall was full of laughing students when the large doors were pushed open one last time.

Silence reigned as the man in question walked in and settled unconcernedly into a seat at the Slytherin table.

He didn't even flinch when nearly twenty people, all of those he had just sat near, stood and left the Great Hall. Nor did he do anything when a bowl of scrambled eggs was thrown at him. He just calmly used his wand to clean his robes and continued eating.

"How comfortable would someone have to be with that type of horrible abuse to become immune to it?" Ginny wondered under her breath.

Draco Malfoy sat alone surrounded on all sides by empty seats and half eaten breakfasts and still managed to look calm and haughty.

Ginny felt horrible for him.

Lunch was just as bad for the blond but dinner was even worse.

When Ginny walked into the room Malfoy was facedown in a bowl of mashed potatoes and the Slytherin who had just shoved Draco was getting high fives from his mates.

She had heard the rumors of everything that had happened to him today. So many pranks, two trips to the hospital wing, his cauldron exploding in Potions, and all of his belongings thrown into the lake. Ginny knew that tomorrow would be even worse for the boy.

A spell shot across the hall and hit his goblet of pumpkin juice causing it to send its contents all over Draco.

Teachers rushed to confront the spell caster and Ginny watched as Draco pulled out his wand and vanished the potato and juice before pulling a Shepard's Pie onto his plate. He pushed his fork in and his dinner promptly exploded in a wash of steaming green goo.

He let out a small cry of pain as his skin began to smoke.

"I've had enough of this!" one of the Slytherin boys snarled. "Leave Draco alone!"

A handsome black boy, Blaise Zabini, Ginny thought, stood and walked over to where Draco was gently cradling his hand. He kissed Draco on the cheek, helped the blond stand, and led him out of the Hall.

"So that's him!" Parkinson screeched. "Zabini is the boy who Malfoy's corrupted!"

"We have to save Zabini from being turned Gay too," another Slytherin shouted. They quickly fell to plotting.

"How can they be so bigoted?" Ginny whispered under her breath. "Torturing him just because he's of a different sexual persuasion." She stood and threw her napkin onto her plate in anger.

"And you can't turn someone gay," she added as she stomped out of the Hall.

"Blaise, why?" Malfoy's voice was pained and sad. "I'm protecting you from them. Let them focus all their hate on me, because as long as I know that I'm protecting you, I can survive."

"No! Draco, why don't you understand? Your parents have disowned you, the Slytherins are torturing you, and the other students are keeping a blind eye to the whole fiasco. You need someone on your side."

"But, Blaise," Draco murmured softly.

"Draco," Blaise growled, "I told you, we can weather this together. I don't want you to protect me, I want to you be with me."

Ginny stood just around the corner with her hands over her mouth and tears in her eyes. They loved each other, truly loved, and the bastards who where torturing them were going to tear them apart!

"No," Ginny snarled to herself. "I won't let that happen."

She stomped her feet a few times to tell the boys that she was coming their way so they could get control of their emotions again before rounding the corner.

"Weasley," Blaise said warily. He stepped protectively in front of Draco, who was still cradling his burnt and blistered hands.

"Zabini," she nodded back with a small smile. "Well come on then," she gestured up the hallway. "He needs to get to the hospital wing and I know a passage that will get us there without anyone noticing us."

"Why would you help us, Weasley?" Malfoy hissed coldly, but Ginny could hear the pain and exhaustion slipping through his facade.

"Because I think that you need my help," Ginny said sadly. "Because I think the rest of the students are the worst bunch of intolerant, narrow-minded idiots I have ever had the displeasure of knowing, and because I want to." The vehemence in her voice was blatantly obvious, as was the compassion she felt for both boys.

"Lead the way, Weasley," Zabini said softly.

She led them behind a tapestry and through a passageway that Fred and George had shown her. They entered the hospital wing without meeting anyone else. Draco's look of gratitude made Ginny's heart warm so she stayed in the wing while Madam Pomfrey tutted over his hands.

"Third time today, Mr. Malfoy. Is there something going on that the Headmaster should know about?"

"No," Draco answered coldly. "There is nothing going on that he cannot see for himself. Tell Dumbledore that I don't want his help." The matron looked taken aback for a moment but quickly caught her stride and began berating him for his rude tone.

Ginny just shook her head and wandered over to the window. What she saw made her gasp and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"What's wrong Weasley?" Zabini asked and when she only shook her head he hurried over.

"Are those Slytherins?" he asked after a quick glance outside.

"I think so," Ginny said softly.

"Then they're probably just throwing my belongings into the lake like they did with Draco's," Blaise said with a tired shrug that broke Ginny's heart because they weren't throwing his things into the lake.

"Blaise," she whispered. "That's not what they're doing." She pointed to a flickering red bonfire. "They're burning your things and probably what's left of Draco's things."

Blaise sank to the floor with a pained sigh. "So all we own now are the clothes on our backs?"

She could only nod.

"So be it," Draco said with a sigh. "We'll make do somehow."

"Draco," Blaise gasped, "your father cut off your access to your Gringotts account when he disowned you for being gay and my mother has been trying to kill me for years, ever since she found out I was gay." He stood and started pacing in front of the hospital bed Draco had been forced into by Madam Pomfrey. "We don't even have two knuts to rub together, let alone enough to buy new robes and school supplies. How can we make do with nothing?"

"And anything you do buy will be destroyed by those harpies," Ginny added sadly. "Listen, I'll help you as best I can. My mum can send a set of old schoolbooks and some supplies. You can transfigure some of my brother's old school robes into Slytherin robes."

"Thanks, Weas- err, what's your first name?" Blaise asked.

"My full name's Ginevra but everyone just calls me Ginny," she answered. "And you're welcome." She had expected them to sneer at her measly offer, especially Draco, but instead was met with thanks and relief. "You might want to find somewhere else to sleep though," Ginny said gently. "If they got into Blaise's locked Head Boy rooms it's likely that they'll try and come back when you're sleeping."

"That's true," Draco said with a sigh. "That's where I slept last night but now…" He shook his head. "I can't think of anywhere to go."

"Me either," Blaise whispered.

Ginny closed her eyes and turned her head away. "On the seventh floor, about two corridors away from the Gryffindor portrait there is a painting of a giant by a lake. Tell the mermaid in the lake that you need a safe haven and she'll let you in." Ginny stood and edged to the door.

"Let us in where?" Draco asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"My private room," Ginny answered as she opened the hospital wing doors.

"Weas- Ginny, why do you have private rooms? Granger is Head Girl." Blaise was standing next to Draco, but all of his attention was now on the shifty-eyed red head.

"I'm alone," she whispered as she slid out the doors. "Always alone."

Draco and Blaise exchanged startled looks. She was a spitfire girl, impulsive but caring. They knew that she had a few boyfriends over the years and that her brother and his friends were always around. Why would she think that she was alone?

Madam Pomfrey bustled back into the room with a number of potions vials in her hands.

"Mr. Malfoy will have to stay here overnight so his burns can be monitored. Mr. Zabini, you are welcome to stay as well. Miss Weasley, oh, where did she go?" The woman glanced around the room. "She needs her dreamless sleep potion. I guess I'll just have a house elf bring it to her. Poor girl." The woman shook her head sadly as she soaked some bandages in a fizzy blue potion.

"What's wrong with her?" Blaise asked carefully.

"Oh, the girl has frightful nightmares," the old matron hedged. "Just…you should take a look at her in the Great Hall for breakfast. See who talks with her and who doesn't."

She wouldn't answer any more of their questions and bustled off moments after Draco's hands were wrapped.

"See Draco," Blaise said with a smirk before loudly crunching a piece of bacon in his mouth. "This is why two heads are better than one." He poked the shield charm with the bitten end of his bacon. "See, if I hadn't thought of this, you'd be eating a soggy rasher of bacon again. I have to say that I'm not fond of Pumpkin Juice flavored bacon."

Draco's eye twitched.

"And sure," Blaise continued, oblivious to his friend's annoyance, "when we dissolve the charm we'll have to duck away from all the food stuck to it, but at least we can eat in peace." He stuffed the rest of the piece of bacon into his mouth and started on his eggs.

"Blaise, will you clear off a space in the muck on the shield charm so we can see the girl Weasley when she comes in?"

"Her name's Ginny and yes, I can." Blaise pulled out his wand and vanished all the food covering the shield.

She walked into the room five minutes later looking tired but steady. Her gaze slid over their protective bubble with a small smile before she took a seat at the end of the Gryffindor table. Colin Creevey immediately stood up with the lame excuse that he needed to speak with his brother. The fear in his eyes was barely concealed, but the look of relief as he settled into another seat at the other end of the table was obvious. The sideways glances she got form many of the other Gryffindors, the subtle shifting of their seats so they would not be sitting near her, the complete ostracization from everyone; and she ignored all of that with practiced ease. Only one person stopped to speak with her and Dean's eyes never left her chest as he said hello before moving on to sit with his friends.

"She's just like us," Draco whispered. "All alone and hurt by people who should be her peers. I wonder why?"

"But it's different for her. She's a Weasley who still has the complete support of her family so they can't blatantly attack her. Everything has to be done so that her older brother won't notice."

"I thought Gryffindors were terrible at subtlety. I guess they do have the ability if they hate someone enough." Draco ran a hand through his unkempt hair. They had been able to use the hospital wing showers and had cleaned their robes with spells, but combs and hair gel had not been supplied.

"Well tonight I think we'll find out," Blaise said quietly so no one would overhear them. "We can't stay in the hospital wing again. Parkinson will catch on to that soon, which means we'll have to stay with Ginny."

"And while we're there we can figure out why her own house hates her!" Blaise finished and smiled sadly with Draco.

III

Ginny's room was small. She had a twin sized bed, a desk, and a closet. Her personal bathroom was tiny as well.

She kicked the last dirty shirt under the bed when she heard the portrait creak open and turned to greet the boys as they entered the room. They were out of breath but otherwise seemed unharmed even with all the torture they had endured throughout the day.

"I know it's small," Ginny said softly, "but I can conjure you a bed." She grabbed a large package off her desk and handed it to Draco. "This is the stuff I had my mum send. I need to go to the Gryffindor common room for a while, but feel free to make yourselves at home."

Ginny smiled and grabbed her homework before leaving the boys behind. She walked down the corridor to the common room but was stopped in route by Parkinson.

"Weasley, have you seen those fags?" the brunette snarled as she pushed Ginny into a wall.

"No, why are you looking for them?" Ginny said innocently as she pulled out of Pansy's grip.

"Oh," the other girl said sweetly. "I have a spell that will help fix them! You know that being gay is amoral and I think I can get them back to normal! So if you've seen them…" she trailed off ominously.

"First of all," Ginny began with a hiss, "there is nothing wrong with being gay."

Before Ginny could continue with her point Pansy began to cackle. "You're one of them too! You're a lesbian!" she hissed and lifted her wand. "I'll have to fix you too!"

"Ginny!" Ron poked his head out of the portrait hole and when he saw Pansy he jumped out and brandished his wand. "What are you doing to my sister?"

"Nothing," Pansy said in a sickly sweet voice as she slowly backed away from Ginny. She caught Ginny with a warning glare before turning and rushing down the corridor.

"Are you alright, Ginny?" Ron asked as he rushed over to his sister.

"I'm fine, thank you Ron," Ginny said as she finally took a full breath. "Lets go study."

Ron grimaced but followed Ginny into the portrait hole. "I hate studying," he grumbled as he settled into a seat across from Ginny.

"What happened, Ron?" Harry asked as he and Hermione began pulling out their homework.

"I just caught Parkinson attacking Ginny," Ron answered with a growl. "I don't mind her attacking Malfoy or Zabini. They deserve it. But no one hurts my sister."

"Ron!" Ginny snapped. "No one deserves to be hurt like that! It shouldn't matter if it's me being attacked or anyone else! If you see someone being hurt you should go help them."

Ron hit the table with his fist and glared at his sister. "After all that Malfoy has done to us you say that he doesn't deserve his comeuppance? He tried to get Hagrid sacked! He's gotten us so many detentions! And you remember what his father did to you in your first year, Ginny!"

"Anyway," Harry added gently, "it's not as if we're the ones attacking them."

"No," Ginny said softly as she gathered her homework together. "What you're doing is even worse! You watch and laugh while they are tortured and do _nothing_ to stop it. It doesn't matter whether they deserve what they're getting or if this is "comeuppance"," she hissed. "All that matters is that they are human beings who are in pain!"

Ginny gathered her belongings and angrily stomped out of the room.

III

Draco sat up quietly in bed and gently moved Blaise's arm from around his waist.

The whimper sounded again and Draco turned towards Ginny's bed with a lifted eyebrow.

She had stomped back into the room not even a half hour after she left and before either of them could speak with her she had grabbed her pajamas, gotten changed in the bathroom, and had slipped into bed.

Blaise had just opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when she pulled out a dreamless sleep potion and chugged it.

Draco had watched her fall asleep under the strong, drugging effects of the potion, yet somehow she was still having a nightmare.

He slipped out of bed and went to her side. "Ginny," he whispered as he gently shook her shoulder, careful not to wake Blaise too. "Ginny wake up."

She cried out and rolled over to the other side of the bed so Draco climbed onto the bed to follow her. "Wake up, Weasley." She began to sob in her sleep and fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

Draco gathered the poor girl in his arms and was relived that even though she clung to him, her tears slowed and she slipped back into peaceful sleep. Draco lay next to her and closed his eyes. It felt nice to hold her in his arms, even though she was a girl, which confused Draco somewhat.

He heard a rustle of sheets as Blaise left his bed and felt Ginny's bed dip as Blaise climbed on across from Draco.

"You know," Blaise said softly. "I still like girls even though I'm with you."

Draco looked confused so Blaise continued. "It's possible to like both boys and girls, not just one gender. I think I'm beginning to like Ginny too."

"I'm not sure what I'm feeling about her. Grateful, definitely; protective, yes; but is she girlfriend material…I'm not really sure. Besides, I have you, Blaise. Why would I need her?"

"She needs us," Blaise answered softly. "And I am willing to give her what she needs. Can't I be with you and her? Can't you be with her and me?"

"I suppose," Draco answered softly. "I'll stay with you whatever you choose but I'm going to need more time before I decide whether I like Ginny enough to be with her like I am with you. Lets go to sleep for now."

The morning came quickly and Ginny did not seem upset to wake sandwiched between two boys.

They got dressed and ready for the day, but before they left Ginny stopped them with a soft apology.

"I'm sorry that I woke you because of my nightmares," she whispered softly and looked sadly down at the ground.

"Oh, Ginny," Blaise sighed softly as he went over to hug her. "Your nightmare didn't bother us at all."

"Not at all," Draco echoed. "Incidentally," he continued, "why do you have nightmares anyway?"

Ginny buried her face in Blaise's shoulder so her voice was muffled when she answered.

"I still dream about the Chamber of Secrets," her voice was sad and Draco and Blaise nodded to show that they understood. "Sometimes I would wake screaming and my roommates got fed up with it. They unanimously asked McGonagall to have my room changed so I was sent here." She sounded so sad and broken that Draco joined Blaise in wrapping his arms around her.

"But it was because of your single room that you are able to help us," Draco said gently. "So some good came out of this."

She nodded and pulled out of their arms to wipe the tears from her face. She smiled softly up at them and both Draco and Blaise felt their hearts thump.

"Lets go down to breakfast. We can eat together."

They entered the Great Hall together and the boys steered Ginny to the Slytherin table.

"There'll be plenty of empty seats," Blaise said with a shrug to answer her inquiring glance.

He was right as a large number of students left their breakfasts when the three of them chose a spot at the table.

Uncharacteristically, a few Slytherins stayed seated.

"What!" Pansy screeched. "Have you lot turned gay too?" She pointed angrily at those who had remained seated.

"No," one of them answered angrily. "I still have a girlfriend and everything," he said as he motioned to the girl sitting next to him. "We're just tired of leaving breakfast when we're not done eating. What Malfoy and Zabini do is really none of my business, but I've had enough of your childish antics, Parkinson."

Draco looked around the room and saw some people nodding their heads and others glaring at the boy.

"And stop with the harassment, Parkinson!" Potter stood from his seat at the Gryffindor table but his eyes were on Ginny as he continued. "Hurting people like you have been is wrong and if you don't stop I will personally report you to the teachers."

Ron Weasley nodded although he still glared at Draco and Blaise for being so close to his sister. Hermione leaned in and whispered something in his ear that calmed him down somewhat.

Pansy opened and closed her mouth like a puffer fish before sitting down angrily.

"This isn't over," she hissed but Draco ignored her.

"Yes, it certainly is!"

The entire Great Hall looked up to the teachers' table where Dumbledore was standing and glaring angrily around the room.

"I have watched you over the past few days and I have to say that I am appalled with the behavior exhibited by the students of Hogwarts. Therefore, I am taking away fifty points from each house, and extra fifty each from Miss Parkinson and Mr. Flint of Slytherin. Additionally, many of you will be receiving detention notices today as punishment for your harassment."

Dumbledore glared around the room at many shocked faces and three faces at the Slytherin table that nodded their thanks.

"I am awarding Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini of Slytherin and Miss Weasley of Gryffindor fifty points each for standing strong in their convictions and for showing you that different is still okay."

Again Dumbledore's glare swept the room. "And lastly, because I have found that hatred and bigotry is a terrible thing to endure and is essentially one of the main factors that Voldemort himself bases his campaign on, I will be instigating awareness classes. Every student will attend this class once a week until they graduate at the end of their seventh year and I hope that you will learn tolerance for everyone else around you!"

Dumbledore sat down and the Great Hall erupted in chatter.

"That won't stop all of it," Blaise said sadly.

"But at least now they can't be so open with their tortures," Ginny added with a smile.

"As long as we stick together we can survive whatever they throw at us." Draco finished with his own smile. "Besides, this new class should prove to be interesting."

Ginny pulled over a dish of pancakes and loaded her plate. Perhaps they would always be harassed, Draco and Blaise because they were gay and Ginny because she supported them, but at least for now they could eat breakfast in peace.

A.N.

Remember,

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

You can tell someone what you think and believe, but that doesn't mean they will automatically accept those views. Every human has the ability to make their own decisions and sometimes it doesn't matter how much you try to influence them in your particular direction, they will still do what they wish in the end.

This is my view and my belief; All humans, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Straight should be allowed to interact with and to love whomever they wish. It is entirely up to you whether you are willing to embrace what I have said or whether you reject it.

Just be who you are and be happy with yourself!

Lots of Love from me to you (no matter what your gender),

Mell8


	2. Chapter 2

Day of Silence

Chapter Two

By Mell8

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A.N. Every single review I've received for this story makes my heart sing. It is so wonderful to know that so many people support the ideas I've expressed.

To everyone who has asked for advice: I really enjoyed the conversations we had and I hope that I was able to help you.

This next chapter is dedicated to people like me, straight but firm supporters, (you'll see why when you read). The major situation that Ginny experiences has actually happened to me personally, and the doctors visit is a horror story of a friend. Please remember that while what I am writing is based on very real situations, I have embellished a bit both to make the story fit with Rowling's world and to make the message I'm sending that much more dramatic.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and I am looking forward to hearing from everyone. I love reading your views on the subject.

Thanks,

Mell8

P.S. A while ago J.K.R. announced that Dumbledore was gay and his partner was Grindelwald. I'm happily celebrating the diversity in the books and dedicate this chapter to Dumbledore.

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"So, if I walk around with my shirt off you'll get a hard-on?" The Ravenclaw boy laughed in Draco's face and puffed his chest in the blonde's direction with a haughty sneer.

"No," Draco answered tiredly as he tried to maneuver around the Ravenclaw and his entourage. He was meeting up with Blaise and Ginny for lunch and was already late. He knew they would be worried about him, especially considering how dangerous it was for them to walk around the school alone and unprotected.

But Draco had wanted to stop by the bathroom really quickly and had sent his mate and his only friend on ahead. Draco had thought it would be awkward for Ginny to be standing around outside the boys loo and Blaise was oddly protective of the tiny red-head and didn't like leaving her alone if he could help it, so Draco had told them he would be fine on his own for five minutes.

The bathroom had been difficult as usual as all the other boys in the room had rushed out the second Draco walked in. They didn't like being pants down around a gay.

But it had been a while since anyone had directly confronted him and Draco was annoyed.

"Come off it!" the Ravenclaw snorted. He reached down and grabbed himself between his legs. "If you saw this would you want to suck it like my girlfriend does?"

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself. He didn't want to lose his cool in front of all these people because then they would have confirmation that they were bothering him.

"I only look at hot boys," Draco said finally. "You don't qualify. And if I were you I'd learn to watch my mouth because I think your girlfriend is about to kill you."

Draco escaped as an irate girl clocked the Ravenclaw boy over the head with her heavy backpack.

He kept running until he had fled down one staircase and three hallways. He slowed once he was sure none of the people harassing him had followed and began to look for the entrance to the secret passage Ginny had shown him that led directly to the Entrance Hall.

"Oi, Malfoy!" Draco couldn't stop the flinch that shook his shoulders and, snarling at himself for showing weakness, he spun around to address the boy yelling at him.

"What?" Draco hissed.

"I- I just wanted to ask, well, do you, you know, get a hard-on when you see boys with their shirts off?" This boy was also in Ravenclaw, but unlike his housemate, he looked genuinely curious and rather uncomfortable about asking.

Draco laughed in a harsh bark that made the other boy jump. "Of course not. Well," he hedged thinking of Blaise without his shirt, "I guess it really depends. Let me put it in your perspective. Do you get a "hard-on" every time a girl wears a shirt that's too tight? I'm pretty sure you don't."

"Yeah," the boy laughed. Draco began walking down the hall and the boy followed. "I mean, some girls just don't have tits and some girls are so big I get scared that I'll get suffocated or something. But when a girl has just enough for a large handful, mmmm, yeah that's when I hope their shirts are reeeally tight."

Draco laughed. "And I look for guys with very little chest hair and firm pecs, none of that flabby stuff. Just because I prefer guys to girls doesn't mean that I don't have my own preferences."

"You know, you're really not that different from normal guys," the Ravenclaw said slowly. "I'd say the only difference is that you're gay."

"I'm just a regular person," Draco said with a small smile. "I'm glad someone besides me thinks so."

"Hey, I know it's got to be difficult for you. I'll try to speak to some of my friends about letting off with the taunting a bit."

"Thanks," Draco said, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I'll see you around!" The boy ran off back in the direction they had come from and Draco quickly slid into the secret passage he had been looking for.

"There you are!" Ginny gasped in relief as Draco slid into the empty seat next to her. "I've been worried and Blaise got this letter addressed to you from your mum and won't talk to me about it."

"From my mother?" Draco asked with fear in his voice. "Not again. Blaise, is it as bad as I think?"

"Yeah," Blaise said sadly as he handed the roll of parchment to the blond. Ginny read over Draco's shoulder and couldn't help gasping in dismay.

Draco,

Your Healer's appointment is scheduled for this Saturday at noon. Please be at St. Mungo's on time.

Narcissa Malfoy

"Why do you have to go to the doctor?" Ginny asked gently. "Are you sick?"

"According to my mother I am. She's been trying to find a way to turn me straight because she considers being gay a sickness. She routinely schedules these doctors appointments, hoping that the doctors will find something wrong with me that explains why I don't like girls."

"She says it's because she wants grandkids," Blaise added in softly, "but if that were really the case there are spells she could have done that will impregnate a girl with Draco's seed without the act of sex. The real issue is that Draco is gay and that's socially unacceptable."

"I'll go with you!" Ginny said suddenly. "You can't go through this torture alone!"

"I always go," Blaise agreed.

"But Mother may think that I'm straight if I show up with a girl," Draco moaned. "She'll expect things like regular girlfriends and a future marriage and will start setting me up on blind dates with empty headed socialites again."

"And if she comes to that assumption I'll set her straight," Ginny said firmly.

Draco blinked at her in surprise. "My mother is a little…extreme," he warned finally.

"I can handle it," she said back gently.

"I'm sure you can," Blaise said back with a smile.

Lunch finished quietly, mostly because Parkinson was still in detention, and Draco and Blaise left to go to their next class. Ginny had a free period so she decided to go to the Library to finish some homework.

She had been in the library for nearly fifteen minutes before four girls Ginny had never met before sat down across from her.

"Hello?" Ginny asked curiously.

"You have no idea how long we've been trying to find you alone so we could talk to you!" one of the girls moaned.

"Talk to me?" Ginny asked as she set down her quill. "What about?"

"Us Dikes gotta stick together!" the second girl chirped. "Solidarity in numbers, you know?"

"Dikes?" Ginny asked again. She was actually rather afraid to hear the answer.

"Yeah, love," the third spoke up. "You know, lesbians, like you and me?"

"Umm," was all Ginny could force out before all three of the girls who had spoken turned to look at the fourth expectantly. Ginny had a really weird feeling about all this.

"Umm," the girl whispered. "I was wondering if you would go out with me?"

"Wait a second!" Ginny snapped. "First of all, I'm straight. I don't like girls, so no, I won't go out with you. Second, it's terrible of you to assume that just because I hang out with two gay boys that I'm gay myself."

"But being gay is the new thing!" the first girl gasped. "Everyone's doing it." Then she lunged forward and forced her lips to meet Ginny's in a hard kiss that made Ginny's insides squirm.

Ginny growled and shoved the girl off. "Are you even a lesbian yourself? Just because you think it's cool doesn't mean you should automatically become one. Being gay is something you're born with and has nothing to do with your environment or what other people are doing."

"But," the fourth girl whispered. "I just found out that it was possible for girls to like other girls. And it explains why I've never been comfortable around guys."

"That's why you're such a cold fish!" the third girl sniffed. "You really are a lesbian!"

The girl nodded. "I like you Ginny, I really do."

"I'm sorry I can't return your feelings. I'm sure you'll find yourself a witch who does soon enough," Ginny replied as she gathered her schoolbooks together and stuffed them in her bag.

She arrived at her next class early and took the time when she was alone in the classroom to laugh hysterically to herself.

Being gay was the new fad. Parkinson was going to go nuts once she saw the light of day again.

III

"I thought your parents disowned you," Ginny said as they made their way up to the headmasters office.

"Yeah," Draco sighed. "But that doesn't mean my mother has given up trying."

"But if they don't have control over you any more why do you still have to go to these doctors visits when she tells you to?"

Blaise chuckled. "Money," he said. "As long as she believes that Draco can "get better" then she still pays for his flat. If she thinks he'll bring girls there for a little fun then she'll pay for it, and if she thinks he can get better and Lucius dies before she does, then he could get his inheritance back."

The gargoyle sprang open as they approached and Dumbledore was waiting at the top of the stairs with a bag of floo powder in his hands.

"Ah, Miss Weasley. I should have guessed you would be joining your two friends. Commendable, but dangerous, you understand?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

Ginny grinned back. "Solidarity in numbers," she said, echoing the foolish girls from earlier in the week. What they had said was sound but their reasons behind their actions hadn't been.

"Very well," Dumbledore nodded. "Take a pinch of the powder and say, "St. Mungo's" into the fire. I expect all three of you back by four."

"Thank you, sir," Draco said with a smile.

The trip to the hospital was quick and Narcissa Malfoy was waiting impatiently on the other side of the fireplace. Her face tightened the second Draco stepped out of the fire and a grimace settled in when Blaise followed soon after.

But when Ginny appeared she grew thoughtful.

"Girl," she snapped. "Who are you and what are you doing with my son?"

Ginny calmly dusted herself off before looking straight into Narcissa's eyes.

"My name is Ginevra Weasley and I am your son's friend," she replied, already knowing what Narcissa's reaction to that statement would be. Draco winced from behind his mother.

"So the treatments are working then? My Draco is interested in girls like he ought to be?"

Ginny laughed. "Hardly. I'm just here to make sure that you don't harm him in your foolish attempt to fix something that cannot be fixed by mere magic. Think of me as your voice of reason."

"A voice of reason? How dare you!" Narcissa snarled. "I won't have this harlot here, Draco!"

"That's too bad!" Ginny hissed back coldly. "I'm not going anywhere so let's get this farce over with so we can get back to school." She grabbed Draco's hand and marched towards the waiting Healer.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy," the Healer sighed. "Well, come on then."

Draco followed the Healer and Ginny and Blaise went to sit in the waiting room. Narcissa sniffed at Ginny again and left to find somewhere else to sit.

Blaise helped Ginny get a cup of tea before sitting down across from her. "Don't worry," he said with a smile. "The Healer knows that there isn't anything wrong with Draco. He'll just check Draco's vitals and then Draco will come sit with us for an hour before we go find his mother."

Ginny laughed. "You guys have it down to a system."

Blaise reached across the table and hugged her tightly. "We do." He slowly let her go with a lingering touch on her shoulder.

Ginny blinked once, confused. That touch spoke of want, but Blaise was gay!

Blaise saw her confused look and laughed. "Oh, Ginny. I'm bisexual. That means that I like both guys and girls."

"But you have Draco," Ginny said reproachfully and she sat as far back in her seat as she could. "I'm not going to be the reason why you two have a fight."

Soft laughter came from behind her and Ginny spun around to see Draco standing in the doorway. "Draco," she gasped. "We didn't- he didn't…"

Draco laughed again. "Don't worry, Ginny. Blaise has been trying to convince me that being bi isn't a bad thing."

"Draco decided to be totally gay when his parents had such a terrible reaction to his announcement that we were going out." Blaise grinned over at Draco who glowered back. "I've been trying to convince him that girls aren't all bad."

"But why?" Ginny asked as she pulled her chair to the side to make room for Draco.

"Because I really, really like you," Blaise said gently. "And I really, really like Draco. So I was hoping that I could convince Draco to like girls, and to like you, so that we could all have a relationship."

"He wants to have a threesome," Draco sighed. "But I just don't think I could get it up with you, Ginny."

"Umm," was all Ginny said.

Blaise grinned. "Don't worry. I've still got to convince Draco first. Let's go find your mother and get out of here?"

They left, Draco having gotten his "tests" and Ginny having gotten a confused head. All she knew was that she was definitely straight and there was something very riveting about the image of Draco and Blaise, naked and snogging, that kept running through her head.

III

A.N.

Okay, so I embellished a bit about the threesome. That generally doesn't happen in real life. But I do know that there are some people that, because of a horrible experience that happened when they found out that they were gay/lesbian or because of something that happened when they came out, they have become so strictly gay that they can't even consider the opposite gender to be a sexual object. I feel that Draco is going through this and it will take some soul searching and harsh realizations on his part for him to realize that girls can be fun too.

Blaise seems like a free spirit to me, hence why he's so open about liking both Draco and Ginny.

To every corkscrew in a box of hard nails, good luck and hugs and kisses.


	3. Chapter 3

Day of Silence

Chapter Three

By Mell8

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This is dedicated to my good friend Aden, whose name was Megan this time last year…

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"This is all your fault!"

Draco looked up from his notes on his borrowed parchment and sighed at the group of other students standing angrily around his desk. "What is my fault then?"

"That we've got all this extra homework just because you gays couldn't keep it in your pants," the spokes boy continued with a snarl. "We've got to write two whole feet for that damned equality class you've forced on us."

Draco stood slowly in his seat and calmly packed his bag. Blaise was waiting by the Professor's desk and Ginny would no doubt be heading down from Transfiguration to meet up with them.

"If you think that this is my fault," Draco said softly as he pushed through the crowd, "then you can write your essays on what you just said here."

"Besides," Blaise said as he pushed the last boy out of Draco's way, "just because we're gay doesn't mean that we have more sex than heterosexual couples."

Draco and Blaise left the classroom and the group of boys and went to meet up with Ginny.

"You know," Draco said softly. "Ever since this whole issue started we haven't been together."

"We're sleeping in Ginny's bedroom," Blaise replied. "I don't think she'd like us having sex while she's in the bed next door."

"Yeah," Draco sighed and reached out to hold Blaise's hand. "Sometimes I just wish that I had never come out."

"What?" Ginny asked as she walked up to them. "Why would you think that?"

Draco laughed coldly. "I don't have a home any more. My mother thinks I have a disease. My father has threatened to have me killed. And, everyone at school hates me for being different."

"Well," Ginny said thoughtfully as she joined them in walking to the Great Hall for dinner. "Everyone hated you before because you were a Malfoy, so that can't be much different."

"If you say so," Draco grumbled as he guided them around the puddle of water that had just _accidentally_ appeared on the ground in front of them.

Blaise just shook his head. "I was tired of hiding, Draco. Yeah, we've got all these problems, but now I can walk around holding your hand whenever I want."

"That's cheesy crap, Blaise," Draco grumbled as they settled into the seats at the end of the Slytherin table.

Despite his cold words, Ginny saw Draco squeeze Blaise's hand once before he let go so he could eat.

"Students," Professor Dumbledore called once everyone had enough food to satisfy them on their plates. The Hall quieted and everyone turned their attention to Dumbledore.

"I want to wish you all a good winter break," he began. "I also want to express my hopes that you will all try hard on your Inclusion Class homework while you are away. Any truly moving stories will be published in the Daily Prophet. A reminder for those going home over break that the train leaves at seven fifteen in the morning, so please don't be late. Have a happy holiday," Dumbledore finished before retaking his seat.

The main meal vanished and desert appeared in its place.

"There's not many people staying here over break," Ginny said as she helped herself to some chocolate pudding. "Just a couple first years and us, I think."

"Your brother and his friends aren't staying?" Blaise asked, surprised.

"Mum wanted everyone home this break," Ginny said with a shrug. "I told her I'd send a card."

"But Ginny," Blaise gasped. "You should be with your family."

"Some things are more important," was all Ginny said before she applied herself to her chocolate pudding.

Blaise and Draco looked at each other over Ginny's head and sighed. Neither of them had family to visit, so they were staying here, but they had assumed that Ginny would be leaving. Somehow the idea that Ginny was giving up time with her family to stay and help protect them both hurt and healed.

Dinner finished and Draco, Blaise, and Ginny got up to head to bed.

III

Morning dawned for Ginny around eleven on the first day of winter break. She got up slowly and got ready for the day slowly. Around lunchtime Ginny finally left her room to go find out where the two boys had gone.

She found them entering the Great Hall just as she stepped off the marble staircase and they held the door open for her as she rushed to join them.

"Good morning," Ginny chirped.

"Morning," Blaise answered. "You were still asleep, so we went to the library to get some of our homework out of the way," he continued as an explanation.

"It's nice not having a lot of people around," Draco sighed happily.

All the tables had been removed from the Great Hall, leaving only one medium sized one for them to sit at. As usual, they took seats at the very end, away from the others.

"Well," Dumbledore said with a smile as he saw them join him. "Everyone's here except Mr. Fishel. It's nice that you were all able to join me!"

"Fish isn't coming," a Hufflepuff first year said coldly. "He's off doing his own thing."

"Yeah," the Hufflepuff's friend laughed under his breath. "Fish-face is doing her own thing." They both laughed and turned back to their meals, missing Dumbledore's disapproving look.

After the meal, Ginny joined the boys in the library with her own homework. They worked for a few hours in comfortable silence. It was strange, being able to sit calmly in the library without being confronted about something.

Draco and Blaise were constantly getting harassed no matter where they went, but Ginny had found that the library was a particularly excellent place for others to find her. She couldn't decide if Madam Pince hated her because of the amount of noise she inevitably made or if the library matron felt sorry for Ginny. Either way, she hadn't been kicked out just yet.

"So," Blaise sighed as he pushed his finished Transfiguration essay away. "What should we write for the inclusion class?"

"It's not like we're begging for topics," Draco grumbled.

Ginny just sighed. That was unfortunately very true.

"You could write about what coming out did for you," Ginny said to Draco, thinking of their conversation the other night.

"Anyone who looks at me could guess just what it did _for_ me," Draco sneered. "I can love in the open, but that doesn't lessen the pain."

"Maybe we could combine essays?" Blaise asked thoughtfully. "We'll basically have the same thing to write about anyway."

"I could ask Dumbledore," Ginny agreed. "That would make this easier."

Draco threw down his quill with a snarl. "I've had enough homework. Lets go for a walk."

They gathered their belongings and banished their bags back to Ginny's room before heading to the main doors of the castle. They pushed the doors open and were met with ice. It had rained the previous night, but none of them had bothered to notice the below freezing temperatures that had frozen all that rain into sheets of ice.

"Maybe we could walk inside?" Ginny asked as she shivered in the cold draft coming in through the door.

"Yeah," Blaise agreed as he steered them towards the lower level unused corridors.

They walked off Draco's bad mood for about two hours, chatting quietly among themselves and enjoying the time in solitude and safety to their fullest.

As they were heading back to the main hallways, they heard it: a quiet sniffle and a suppressed sob. Someone was crying and was trying their hardest not to be found.

Ginny looked at Draco's disinterested look and Blaise's indifferent one, sighed, and followed the sniffling sounds.

Two corridors from the kitchens and the Hufflepuff common rooms, Ginny found the person. The girl's long hair was covering her face and her hands were clutching the hem of her skirt and holding it frantically between her legs, which perplexed Ginny.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked softly as she put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

The girl jumped and gasped, frantically backing into the wall while keeping her skirt carefully between her legs.

"Look, kid," Draco snapped from over Ginny's shoulder. "She can't help you if you won't even look at her."

The girl looked up when she heard Draco's distinctive drawl and looked relieved when she noticed whom, exactly, was speaking with her.

Ginny studied the girl, curious at what she saw. The girl's eyes were reddened from crying, but her jaw was too sharp and defined to fit in a girls' face. The girl had long hair, but it wasn't styled, just grown long. If Ginny hadn't seen the skirt, she would have thought she was talking to a boy.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" Ginny asked.

The girl nodded slowly before answering. "They stole my underwear," she sniffled out.

"That's terrible," Ginny gasped. "But, isn't your skirt long enough that you can get back to your dormitory?"

The girl blushed. "Trust me," she mumbled. "The skirt's not long enough."

"Wait…" Blaise cut in. "I've heard some rumors of a Hufflepuff second year cross dresser. Are the rumors true?"

"Yeah," the _boy_ whispered. "It's true." He looked down at his knees for a second before glaring up at them. "I just feel more comfortable in a skirt and makeup! Is that wrong?"

"No!" Ginny gasped. "Of course not."

The boy stood up, showing legs as smooth as Ginny's, but kept a hand covering his front so Ginny couldn't see him hanging out below the hemline of his skirt. "Well, the boys who stripped me think it is."

"There are a lot of bigots in this school," Ginny sighed.

The boy nodded in agreement.

"Great," Draco groaned. "Now we're going to get hounded about converting another person to the gay side."

"I'm not gay!" the boy snapped. "I like boys and I'm a girl inside. That doesn't make me gay."

"Technically, you are," Draco snapped back. "You're still a boy underneath the skirt. Hell, even I can see that now. A girl's got bits that you don't."

"I've done my research," the boy snapped back. "I can't do the spells for that until I'm done growing. Besides, just because I have a penis doesn't make me a boy."

"Umm," Draco said pointedly.

"It doesn't! In my mind I know I should have been born a girl and I'll fix that mistake as soon as I can."

"Fine, fine," Blaise said in an attempt to stop the argument before it got worse. "I believe you're a girl underneath your boy exterior."

"No you don't," the boy said sullenly.

"Okay, fine. I don't," Blaise agreed. "I guess I'm just having a hard time believing you with your thing hanging out like that. But I do believe that you want to be a girl. Now, why didn't you transfigure something to help you out?"

"They took my wand too."

"Oh, those awful people," Ginny growled. She whipped out her wand and the skirt quickly grew down to the boy's knees.

"Thanks," the boy sighed, relieved to finally be fully covered. "I'm going to go get my stuff back now."

"You're welcome…umm…"

"Alan Fishel, but please call me Alana."

The boy ran off, leaving Draco, Blaise, and Ginny behind in the hallway. They looked at each other and knew they had a story for their inclusion class now.

"First we get Dumbledore's permission to work together," Ginny stated. "Then we ask Alana if it's okay to write her story."

"At least it's not about me," Draco grumbled, but nodded along with Ginny and Blaise.

III

Christmas came and Ginny got her usual presents from her family and friends. Draco and Blaise both got a sweater from Ginny's mum with their first initial emblazoned on the front, but they didn't get anything else. Draco's mother was apparently still miffed about the hospital incident, so she hadn't sent anything, and Blaise's mother never remembered he existed anyway.

The students all came back and classes restarted for the second half of the year. In their inclusion class, the students handed in their essays. Some were half-assed. Some were meaningful. Most were just whatever the student could find.

One week later, Dumbledore held up that morning's copy of the Daily Prophet. The paper was passed around and many students had something to say about the essay that was published.

Over at the Hufflepuff table, Alana Fishel read the article and smiled even as she was getting glares because the eyeliner around her eyes looked better than the other girls' sitting around her.

Ginny finally got her hands on the paper and unrolled it carefully until she could read the front-page article.

**Inclusion at Hogwarts: three students speak out **

"_Hi, my name is Alan, but you can call me Alana…"_

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So, today is about LGBT's and the freedom for them to be who they are without persecution or fear. Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Trans-Gender. I have written about the first three already and felt that it is important for the Trans' to have a part as well.

Also, one of my good friends is Trans. He was a she not too long ago, but he finally made the decision that has been plaguing him his whole life. I really hope I was able to convey exactly what he went through. Please remember that while Gay/Lesbian rights are important, there is more to the issue.

Trans-Lobby Day was a few weeks ago and I was tempted to post this then, but decided not to.

Please continue to state your opinions or your own stories in a review or PM. I am more than willing to hear whatever you have to say!

I hope you all had a good Day of Silence,

Mell8


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